74
47.

	Politics:	Formerly, the negro, attributing his freedom to the efforts of Abrahsxn ~ in his behalf, voted almost solidly for the Republican Party. Now, however, the DolnocEats have, by remembering the race when passing out jobs, gained recruits ernong the colored people, and some negro Democrats are found here. The negro hasbeen accused of voting f~or money, but it is doubtful if as a race ‚ he is any more prone to this practice than his whtle fellow citizens among whom this abuse seems to be growing.

BELL CO. (Neue Shuinate)

	There were auction-blocks near the court houses whore the slaves were sold to the hip~hest bidders. A slave would be placed on a pla~foriii and his merits as a speciman of human power and ability to work was enornerated the bidding began. Young slave girls brought high prices because the more slave children that were born on one‘s plantation the richer he would be in the future. Some slaves were kept just for this purpose, the same as prize thorough~~.bred stock is kept. In many instances slaves were treated like brutes and their places to sleep were like barn sheds with only a ~ittIe straw, on

~	which to sleep. Mrs. Neikirk‘s mother said that she distinctly remembered that the slaves she knew of had only the roughest of food such as: corn bread molasses, and scraps from their owner‘s table. Their clothing was such as their owners saw fit to give them and the cheapest.

	.	iti old negro woman, Aunt Mandy Gibson by name, died last month, Sep. in Middlesboro and I have heard her tell about coining here from Alabenia when the town of middlesboro was first founded. ~hen asked about her old home people she would go to great lenghts to explain about her people having been slaves, but she wou~ld always add that they did not mind slavery as they at that tin::s knew nothing of the outdoor life and therefore désired nothing better. She als o said that the family that owned her was a kind nature and was hood t o slaves.